40 – Surprise Loot.

I stored my spear and kept the shield out, then turned around and faced the rest as I cut the stream of E'er off of Intimidate Prey.

Apparently I can mind-break people now, I thought. A surprise, to be sure. But a welcome one.

Pokora was looking at me with a face full of horror, Lapia was glaring at the hanging Elf, and Yolin had a serious expression.

“So,” I began, walking towards them. “It seems we caught the other little shit that tried to kill me.”

I lowered the woman, carrying her like a bag of groceries. Her wheezes and gasps were accompanied by pained moans every once in a while.

“What did you do?” Pokora asked me, looking at the piece of meat that previously was a thinking being.

“You could say I have a way with words,” I simply said with a shrug.

“We're healing her,” Yolin declared, her tone implying no room for argument.

Lapia sighed.

“They are trying to systematically cull a species,” the Wizard said. Then, she sighed again and added, “Alyssa can check if she was mentally controlled.”

Yikes.

I bit my lower lip.

“Uh, sure,” I nodded, turning to where we left our companions. “We should totally check that.”

Fuck.

We made our way back to the group after Lapia burned the dead bugs and the Elf's limbs.

On the way, I was thinking of quite a bit of things.

Is this what happened to me in Hell? I wondered, glancing at the hanging woman as we silently walked through trees and bushes. Our footsteps were the only sound around us, critters and insects nowhere to be seen. I don't remember the exact moment of when I lost my mind. I lived, though. Well, a dream will show me eventually. I already saw the montage of insanity.

When we reached the group, I noticed two Watchers lying on the ground with clothes covering their faces. An eye was drawn on the fabric, and their arms were crossed above the chest area. A man and a woman.

Lorena approached us as we made our appearance, her face tired and her black hair a sweaty mess. It was a little hot.

“You... found her, I see,” she commented when she saw the stumpy woman. “She was commanding the Vok'ren. Two of my best died trying to protect Zenno,” she added, nodding at the healer who was kneeling on the ground next to Alyssa. Both had their eyes closed in front of the bodies.

Praying? I wondered. Then, Lorena's comment clicked. Entomyst as in... bug controller? I see!

“Yeah,” I nodded at Lorena. “Tried talking with her, but she stubbornly refused.”

I noticed the Cleric boy leaning on a tree near the two older healers.

“Good,” the Captain nodded. “She's still alive, I see.”

I put the Elf down and appraised her, noticing the same information showed up.

So appraisal shows that they're alive...

Yolin walked past us and approached Alyssa. Tapping her shoulder, she nodded to the half corpse.

“Could you heal her?” the Oni asked. “Natasha cut her limbs and... neutralized her.”

The Luzo nodded, and stood up. The two walked back to us and looked down at the woman in question.

“She's... lost her mind,” Alyssa muttered, a little confused. “I can heal her no problem. It will take a bit of effort to heal the mind, however.”

I hummed. She does have skills to protect minds and such, I remembered.

Though finding out Abyssal broke minds like some cosmic horror language, the extent was a bit too extreme. I hoped she'd faint at best, not become a meat shell. It was a little enlightening.

Alyssa crouched and placed her hands over the woman, white light flowing from her hands.

“So, Lorena,” I began, turning to the Tigea. She gave me a nod and waited for me to continue, “You mentioned you were chasing after Elena. Is that her?”

She nodded again.

“That'd be correct, Lady Natasha,” she confirmed, trying to fix her hair. “As soon as Lady Pokh'Orra informed us of another individual involved in attempting to kill you, we launched an investigation and raided her residence after the court appointment earlier today. We found it empty save for a bed and basic amenities. Registry showed she arrived in Lakeview around a month ago and found work in the Sharp Paw shortly after.”

“Her mind... it's absolutely shattered,” Alyssa commented, fixing a lock of hair behind her right ear with her tail, her hands going over Elena and emitting the whitish light. “It'll take me a while with this much damage.”

Lorena glanced at the Elf, then back at me. She nodded to herself and a small smile formed on her face.

Don't go there, I thought with a little apprehension.

Yolin stood next to Alyssa, her eyes not leaving the woman on the ground. Pokora approached the mounts and Lapia stood next to me.

Bromisnar was playing a soft, relaxing tune with his lute. Bonte was looking out into the shadows between the trees and bushes, his tail moving from side to side. The rest of the Watchers were eating and drinking water, standing in a wide circle around us and keeping watch.

“And after that?” I gestured Lorena to continue.

“One of our Archers tracked her down, and we gave chase. Elena escaped here, and we were ambushed by the Vok'ren. Nino and Parris found us after the confrontation. We were in no state to continue, so I asked Parris to inform you. Nino stayed and kept us from dying with basic healing.”

I nodded. “She beat the shit out of you, huh?”

“You could say that, yeah,” Lorena agreed with a sigh, a scowl on her face. “Circumstance demanded we asked the children for help. It's fortunate they weren't in harm's way.”

Her face showed regret, frustration, and a small relief.

“There's a curse as well,” Alyssa muttered in surprise.

“Ah, yeah,” I said, looking at her. “My pike curses those it cuts.”

The Watchers turned to me, looking at my hands with wide eyes. My spear was in my storage, so they found nothing. I quickly stored my shield as well, just in case. They all returned to what they were doing while clearing their throats.

“I see,” Alyssa replied with a nod. “That's quite the coincidence.”

I was confused for a few seconds until I recalled her new class, Soul Warden. She had said she could deal with curses and the like.

Coincidence indeed, I thought with a smile.

“I must thank you, Lady Natasha,” Lorena suddenly said, placing a hand on my right shoulder and giving me a strong nod. “You came to our aid. Nature or not, I deeply thank you.”

I looked down, a little embarrassed at the straightforwardness the woman was showing.

“No problem,” I replied, looking at Elena to avoid Lorena's eyes.

Something on the woman's body caught my eye, and I bent down. Among her reddish hair, I noticed my glow reflected on a metallic object. Moving the locks aside, I noticed a black earring at the base of the Elf's long cartilaginous organ. It had a little clasp which I pressed and removed it from her person, then I straightened up.

A storage item? I wondered, looking at the thing on my palm. How do I use this?

I tried pushing a little E'er into the thing, and a small world opened in my mind: around ten cubic meters of space showed up. It felt a little intrusive, but had a feeling similar to my own storage.

Is a Halve's storage the basis for the enchantment? I questioned in my mind. If someone tells me that, it wouldn't really surprise me at this point.

“That is?” Lorena asked, eyeing the earring. “Evidence?”

“No idea,” I replied. “I'm checking it right now.”

I went over the contents, the feeling I usually get with my storage wasn't there. It felt like touching things with a stick instead of a figurative hand. Some shapes were disclosed, but not the texture nor temperature of things. I came across a long stick and tried pulling it out.

A rod materialized in my free hand. The thing was two meters long and had a pair of insect wings on the tip, which was similar to a 'T' but bent to one side. They had cross-connections similar to the wings of a dragonfly. The body was pitch black, with a forked bottom.

I appraised it and my eyes almost left my skull out of shock.

[+100 Khepri's Was-Scepter (Mythical)](E’er Efficiency SSS)(Durability A)(Entomika)-Minion Toughness +20% (Enchantment)-WIS + 300-INT + 200-DEX + 150-Allows command over beings of the En insect family.*Shifts Ento Dominion:*(TW/5)/25=LD-Doubles Minion Limit.

I instantly put it in my storage. I glanced at Lorena and saw her look up at me.

“What was it?” she asked with an arched eyebrow.

“A dangerous item,” I replied with a serious tone. “I'll be keeping this. I hope you don't mind.”

She shook her head.

“Can't be safer than with you, Lady Natasha,” she replied, giving me a small nod. “I trust your judgment.”

I tried storing the earring, but it didn't go in. That made me wince. I wasn't going to pierce my ears so I could have a storage item. Mine was enough. I had doubts that something could pierce my skin precisely enough so that I could wear the item, anyway.

What the fuck was that thing? I wondered, thinking about the staff/scepter thing. Khepri... somehow rings a bell. And those stats... seemed tailor made for a person with a bug-related class. Holy shit!

I looked back down at Elena with new eyes. Murderous eyes.

I should kill her, I thought. But I should question her first. Should I torture her if she doesn't want to tell?

Thousands of questions swam in my mind as I stared at the slowly growing limbs of the Elf. I wanted to know where she got such an item. Also why would she carry it around, especially near a Halve who she tried to kill. It made no sense in my mind.

There's no way an item like that would close the power gap, adding the fact I have overall better ones, I contemplated, following the movement of the femur as veins, nerves, muscles, tendons, and skin re-formed around it. This one doesn't have gemstones in it. It also has no ascension. I've never seen it before, so it's not from Redeemer's Bush. What a stupid name for a game.

That made me re-think the group chasing after me. If they have access to that kind of items, then it isn't simply an angry group of children wanting to get rid of us protecting them but a serious organization.

I noticed a smile on my face, and my heartbeat increase a little. I was excited.

This is fun, I thought.

By the time all the limbs were whole again, Elena's eyelids fluttered a little. I retrieved my pike and placed the bladed tip above her neck. If she tried anything, I was prepared to kill her.

Alyssa stood up and took some steps back, Yolin standing in front of her. Lorena produced a blue metallic shield with Lumin Kingdom's crest on it and took a stance. I produced my own shield and covered Lapia with it.

The Entomyst slowly opened her eyes while taking a deep breath. She looked around and confusion started to set in her eyes until she looked at me.

“Your Excellency Yulianna?” she asked with a handful of doubt. Her voice oozed respect, her eyes avoiding mine. “No... Your Excellency looks much younger.”

What in the fuckity fuck?

“Elena, you're under arrest for conspiring to kill a Protector,” Lorena declared, gaining the attention of the Elf.

“I... what?!” the Elf gaped at the Tigea. “I would do no such thing, I'll have you know! Nothing but nonsense is what you're spouting. How dare-”

I pressed the tip of the blade against her neck, and she stopped talking.

“Don't play games,” I warned her.

Her eyes focused on my weapon, amazement evident on them for a few seconds until the situation registered on her mind.

“If I may, Your Excellency?” she tentatively asked.

I squinted at her, a scowl forming on my face.

“What?” I spat.

“What year is it?” she asked, panic replacing everything on her face.